Grain-car door.



E, SIEV-ERT. GRAIN OAR DOOR Arrmquxon FILED Ave. 39, 1909.

THE NORRIS pzrzns cm, WASHINGION, B. c.

Patented May 2, 1911" 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 G. .E. SIEVERT.

GRAIN GAR DOOR.

APPLIOATION I'ILED we. 30,1909.

Patented May 2', 1911.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1909.

Patented May 2 1911,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 0. E. SIEVERT. GRAIN GAR DOOR. APPLIGATIOH FILED AUG.30, 1909,

,2 Patented May 2,1911.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SIEVERT, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

GRAIN-CAR DOOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SIEVERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Council Bluffs, in the county of Pottawattamie and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- CarDoors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain car doors, and has for its principalobject to provide a door of strong, durable construction which may bereadily opened and closed and which, in closed position, will preventleakage and will fully protect the contents of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sectional door inwhich the members are inter-engaged in such manner as to form a veryclose joint and prevent leakage and which furthermore are so arranged asto be relatively slidable in both horizontal and vertical planes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic meansfor positively locking the door sections in both open and closedpositions.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide a locking orholding means for supporting the lower door section in various positionsfor the purpose of facilitating unloading.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange and constructthe door section as to form interlocked joints with stationary membersor guides at the sides of the doorway so as to prevent leakage of thecontents of the car or the ingress of rain, snow or the like.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportions and arrangement of partsmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is an elevation looking from theexterior of the car, of a door constructed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is a sec tional plan view of the same on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1909.

Patented Ma 2, 1911.

Serial No. 515,176.

the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation looking from the interiorof the car, showing the upper section of the door in open position. Fig.5 is a similar view showing the upper section moved back and the lowersection in partly open position. Fig. 6 is a detail section, on anenlarged scale, ofa portion of the lower member of the door. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of a portion of the upper member of the door. Fig. 8 is anenlarged detail vertical section, showing the bracing bar for engagementwith the metal sill of the doorway. Fig. 9 is an elevation, looking atone edge of the door member, showing the guiding and supporting bar.Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the guiding and supporting barand a. portion of its trackway. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view ofportions of both door members, showing the inter-engaging portionsthereof. Fig. 12 is a detail view of the gravity lock for holding thedoor sections in both open and closed positions. Fig. 13 is an enlargeddetail horizontal sectional view taken through the upper and lower doorsections when vertically interengaged as in Fig. 5. Fig. 14: is a detailperspective view of the door-locking and sealing means. Fig. 15 is adetail sectional view taken through the track-way and showing one of thecarriages. Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view of one of the carriagesand a portion of a guiding and supporting bar. Fig. 17 is an enlargeddetail fragmentary view illustrating the gravity locking means, with theupper door sect-ion held thereby in position for the vertical slidingmovement of the lower door section. Fig. 18 is a similar view showingthe lower door section locked in its elevated position againsthorizontal sliding movements. Fig. 19 is an inverted plan view of thetrackway and gravity lock. Fig. 20 is a detail sectional view takentransversely through the trackway and showing the gravity lock inelevation.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

The door forming the subject of the present invention is made of anumber of sections two of which, 10 and 11, are illustrated in thepresent embodiment of said inventorted. The bottom of the lower door'is'provided with a stop bar 14 that extends the full width of said door andis designed for engagement throughout its entire length with a metaldoor-sill 15 that forms a brace to prevent outward movement of the doorfrom pressure of the contents of the car. The top of the upper door isprovided with a similar strengthening bar 15 which engages againstvertically-disposed metallic bars 17 18, that are secured to the innerwall of the car at the opposite sides of the doorway.

The strip 17 is somewhat narrower at the upper than at the lower portionand is flanged throughout its entire vertical height in order that itmay interlock with similar flanges carried by both members of the doorfor the purpose of forming a very tightjoint. The bar 18 is flangedthroughout only the lower half of its length and it is designed forengagement with a similar flange that is formed at one edge of the lowerdoor member, so that as a result said lower door member, when in closedposition, will be firmly held from longitudinal movement in eitherdirection and will also be held closely against the side of the car.

The upright flanges 19 and 20 of said lower door member are-formed ofauxiliary channel-bars or the like that are riveted or otherwise securedto the outer face of the door at points adjacent the opposite edgesthereof, and these flange members are spaced from each other a distancegreater than the distance between the extreme outer edges of the upperportions of the bars 17 and 18, so that when the lower door section iselevated it will be free from the bars 17 and 18 "and can then movelaterally toward the position indicated in Fig. 5. When moved back to aposition covering the upper half of the doorway and then lowered, theflanges l9 and 20 will engage with the lower portions of the bars 17 and18 and will interlock therewith.

Extending along the upper portion of the inner wall of the car at apoint just above the lintel of the doorway is a tubular trackway22 thatis supported by a plurality of brackets 23 that are secured 'to thevertical wall of the car side. This tube is slit throughout its lowerside in order to form a continuous slot 24, which slot also'extendsthrough the brackets. WVithin the tube are arranged a series ofcarriages 25, 26 and 27 all of approximately the same construction, andeach provided with recesses 28 for the reception of anti-friction balls29 that are of a diameter greater than the width of the slot, so thatthe balls may ride freely against the inner faces of the edge portionsof the slot with minimum friction. The two carriages 25 and 26 areprovided with depending bars 30, 31, from which the upper door section10 is suspended and the door may be freely moved in the direction of thelength of the car with the carriages as supports, movement in onedirection being limited by a fixed stop 32 that projects inward from theinner wall of the car.

In addition to the stop 32 a gravity lock is provided. This lock is inthe form of a collar that partly surrounds the tube 22 and is held fromlongitudinal movement in one direction by one of the brackets 23 andfrom movement in the opposite direction by an auxiliary collar 35 thatis secured to the tubular trackway. The auxiliary collar 35 is providedwith a projecting tongue 36 that enters a recess 37 formed in one end ofthe locking collar 33 for the purpose of limiting the partial rotativemovement of the locking collar around the tubular trackway 22. Undernormal conditions, however, the collar 33 is held in locking position bya counterweight 38 in the form of a handle secured to said collar.

The collar 33 is provided with a slot 40 that extends from end to endthereof, and one wall of this slot is cut away to form a straight walledlocking recess 41 and a looking lug 42, the approach to these being(lefined by curved or inclined cam portions 43, 44 and 45.

The notch 41 is designed for the purpose of engaging with the suspensionbar 31 of the carriage 26 for the purpose of holding the upper doormember in the position shown in Fig. 4, and the arrangement of parts issuch that as the suspension bar engages wit-h either of the cam faces43, 44 on movement of the door member in either direction the gravitylock will be partly rotated and will allow the suspension bar to passuntil it comes opposite the notch, whereupon the lock will return to itsnormal position by gravity and hold the door member in the openposition. In order to prevent the gravity look from engaging with thesuspension bar 30 of the carriage 25, an auxiliary plate 48 is employedat one side of the suspension bar, said plate being of such width thatin connection with the suspension bar 30 it will operate to hold thegravity lock in inoperative position whenever the carriage 25 is movedpast the lock.

The carriage 27 supports the bar 50, the lower end of which is guidedwithin a channel bar 51 that is arranged at one edge of the lower doormember, and this guiding and supporting bar is free to move along thetrackway as the lower door member is moved in the direction of thelength of the car. The bar is provided with a number of in dentations ornotches 52 arranged to be engaged by a detent 53 that is carried at oneend by a rock-shaft 54 journaled in suitable brackets 55 on the innerface of the lower door member. The opposite edge of the lower doormember is provided with a bar 56 of T-shape in sectional plan, and theouter-flange of this T-bar is arranged to slide within a channel bar 57that is formed at one edge of the upper door member, this arrangement ofinter-fitting bar serving as a means for guiding the lower door memberin its vertical movement. One of the webs of the channel bar 57 isprovided with a number of projecting ratchet teeth 59 that are arrangedin horizontal alinement with the indentation 52, and with these teeth 59engages a detent 60 carried by the rockshaft 54. The rock-shaft 54 isprovided at a point intermediate its ends with an operating handle 61which, under normal conditions, will fall by gravity to a position flatagainst the inner surface of the lower door, and this handle willoperate to maintain the detent in engagement with the teeth orindentations when the door is raised, so that said door may bemaintained at any desired height to facilitate unloading. In order toprevent excessive downward movement of the lower door member, the lowerportion of the bar 50 is provided with a projecting pin 62 which engagesa cross-bar 63 that straddles the channel bar 51. The bar 56 is notchedat its upper end to form a T-head to slide in the channel bar 65 alongthe lower edge of the upper door section.

The upper edge of the lower door member is provided with a T-bar 66 thatis arranged to slide within the channel bar 65 so that when the partsare in the position shown in Fig. 4, the upper door member may be slidto the right or to the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the connectionbeing such as to form a perfectly close fitting joint and prevent theescape of the contents of the car or the ingress of rain, snow or thelike. The two door members are at all times interengaged and when in theposition shown in Fig. 4, the upper door member may be slid in ahorizontal direction to closed position or the lower door member may beelevated to the horizontal plane of the upper member.

It will be noted that the gravity lock 33 is so positioned as tomaintain the upper door section with the channel bar 57 in di' rectvertical alinement with the T-bar 56, so that the door members willalways be in proper position for movement in either direction. Thisconnection between the adjacent corners of the door members serves thepurpose of preventing any inward sway of either member while theopposite edge of the upper door member is held from swinging inboard byan auxiliary bracket or clip 68.

Then the two door members are in the position shown in Fig. 5 and aremoved farther toward the left, the suspension and guiding bar 50 willpass under the cam 45 of the gravity lock moving the latter partlyaround the tubular trackway 22 and the sus pension bar will then becaught and held against the shoulder 42 of said gravity lock, therebyholding the door in full open position. In order to lock both bars inclosed position, a pivoted locking lever 70 is arranged at one side ofthe doorway, the illner end of said lever being provided with a tongue71 that is arranged to engage a re tainer or keeper 72 that projectsfrom the outer face of the upper door member. Then the lever has beenmoved to retaining position it is locked in place by a pivoted arm 74having a laterally-projecting lug 75 that is brought into alinement witha corresponding lug 76 projecting from the lever 70, and

these two lugs are provided with alining openings for the passage of atapered pin 77 of the type ordinarily employed in devices of thisgeneral class, said pin being provided at its lower smaller end with anopening for the passage of any of the ordinary sealing devices.

In the upper door member is a small loading door 80 that is formed of aplurality of marginal angle bars 81 and a plate 82, the inner face ofwhich normally lies flush with the inner face of the door proper. Thissmall door fits within a space that is bounded by a vertical angle bar83 and one of the main cross angle bars 12, and said angle bar 12 andthe lower angle bar of the smaller door are provided with hinge leaves84 that are connected by a hinge pin 85 so that the door may be swung toopen position and leave the entire door space clear for the insertion ofa grain spout or the like. Secured to the opposite edges of the smallerdoor are approximately U-shaped clips 86 that are provided with openingsfor the passage'of lugs'87 that project from the main door, and theselugs have openings for the passage of the ordinary sealing pins 89.

In the lower portion of the lower door member is a small unloading door90 of a construction somewhat similar to the upper door memberpreviously described and provided with locking devices of the same character. As this small unloading door is subjected to considerablepressure from the contents of the car it is found advisable to employadditional locks. These locks are formed of slidable bars 92 that arepivoted at their inner ends to an operating lever 93 at points onopposite sides, respectively, of the fulcrum of said lever. The outerends of these locking bars slide in keepers 93 that are secured to theouter face of the unloading door, and said bars are arranged to passthrough alining openings that are formed in the webs of. the angle barsconstituting the marginal member of the unloading device and thedoorway. Then in locked position, the locking levers and the operatinglever are all disposed in approximately the same horizontal plane, andone of said locking levers is provided with a projecting lug 95 havingan opening for the passage of a tongue 96 that is carried by theoperating lever. The

tongue 96 has an opening for the passage of a sealing device of anyordinary type so that the levers cannot be moved to release positionwithout breaking the seal.

What is claimed is 1. A sliding door including upper and lower sections,a slidable connection between the bottom of the upper section and thetop of the bottom section, and a slidable connection between uprightends of the sections.

2. A sliding door including upper and lower sections, a horizontallyslidable con nection between the sections, and a Vertically slidableconnection between the sections.

3. A sliding door including a horizontal guideway, an upper door sectionslidable upon the guideway, 21 lower door section, a slidable engagementbetween the door sections to permit horizontal sliding of the uppersection upon the lower section, and a vertically slidable engagementbetween the vertically alined ends of the door sections, when the uppersection has been moved to a diagonal position with respect to the lowersection.

4. A door including a guideway, an upper section slidable thereon, alower section, a slidable engagement horizontally between the doorsections, a vertically slidable engagement bet-ween ends of the doorsections,

a hanger slidable upon the guideway, and a vertically slidableengagement between the lower door section and the hanger.

5. A door including a guideway, an upper door section slidable upon theguideway, a lower door section, a horizontally slidable engagementbetween the door sections, a vertically slidable engagement between endsof the door sections, a hanger slidable upon the guideway, a verticallyslidable engagement between the lower door section and the hanger, andmeans to adj ustably support the lower door section upon theupper doorsection and the hanger. V

6. A .door including a guidewav, an upper door section slidable thereon,a lower door section, a horizontally slidable engagement between thedoor sections, a vertically slidable engagement between ends of the doorsections, a hanger slidable upon the guideway, a vertically slidableengagement between the lower door section and the hanger,

and means carried by the lower door section and having an adjustableengagement with the upper door section and hanger to adjustably supportthe lower door section.

7. A door including a guideway, an upper section slidable thereon, alower door section, a horizontally slidable engagement between the doorsections, a vertically slidable engagement between ends of the doorsections, a hanger slidable upon the guideway, a vertically slidableengagement between the lower door section and the hanger, detents on thelower door section, and seats on the upper door section and hanger forengagement by the detents.

8. A door including a horizontally slidable upper door section, a lowerdoor section, a horizontally slidable engagement between the doorsections, means to permit vertical sliding of the lower door sectionupon the upper door section including vertical interengageable slideelements upon the door sections, and means to stop the slidable movementof the upper section when the "ertical slide elements of the doorsection come into vertical alinement.

9. In a door, the combination of a guideway, an upper door sectionslidable thereon, a lower door section, a horizontally slidableengagement between the door sections, vertical interengageable slideelements carried by the door sections, and means on the guideway to stopthe upper door section when the vertical guide elements come intoalinement.

10. In a door, the combination of a guideway, an upper door sectionslidable thereon, a lower door section, a horizontally slidableengagement between the door sections, vertical interengageable slideelements carried by the door sections, and a gravity locking device onthe guideway to stop the upper door section when the vertical guideelements come into alinement.

11. In a door, the combination of a guideway, an upper door sectionslidable thereon, a lower door section, a horizontally slidableengagement between the door sections, a vertically slidable engagementbetween the door sections, means to slidably support the lower sectionupon the guideway and to permit combined sliding of the door sections inthe elevated position of the lower section, and means to stop thesliding movement of the upper section in position to permit verticalsliding of the lower section upon the upper section.

12. The combination of a sliding door, means intermediate the limits ofthe sliding movement of the door to limit sliding movement in the openposition of the door, and means carried by the door in position forengagement with the limiting means when the door is in closed positionto render said limiting means inoperative.

13. In a sliding door, the combination of a guideway, a door slidablethereon, and a limiting device for engagement with the door to limit itsmovement, said limiting device being rotatably mounted upon the guidewayfor movement into and out of operative position.

14:. In a sliding door, the combination of a guideway, a door slidablethereon, a limiting device for engagement with the door to limit itsmovement, said limiting device being rotatably mounted upon the guidewayfor movement into and out of operative po' sition, and means carried bythe door for engagement with the limiting means in the closed positionof the door to hold the limiting means inactive.

15. In a door, the combination of a guideway, an upper door sectionslidable upon the guideway, a lower door section, a horizontallyslidable engagement between the door sections, a vertically slidableengagement between the door sections, the door sections capable ofcombining sliding movement in the elevated position of the lowersection, a limiting device upon the guideway to limit the slidingmovement of the door, and devices upon the door sections disposed tosuccessively come into engagement with the limiting device tosuccessively limit the combined sliding movement of the two doorsections.

16. A door formed of upper and lower sections, the upper and one sideedge of one of said sections being provided with T bars that terminateat their juncture in a knob that alines with the main webs of both bars,the lower and one side edge of the other section being provided withchannel bars for the recepton of said knob and said T bars.

17. A door formed of upper and lower slidably connected sections, theuppr section forming a partial support for the lower section, anauxiliary upright supporting bar for said lower section, a trackway, acarriage mounted on the trackway supporting the upper door section, andanother carriage supporting the supporting bar.

18. A door formed of upper and lower slidably connected sections, atrackway, carriages mounted on the trackway and supporting the uppersection, an auxiliary upright bar movable with the lower section, acarriage for the auxiliary bar traveling upon the trackway there beingteeth or indentations in the bar and in one edge of the upper doorsection, and a plurality of pawls carried by the lower door section andar ranged to engage said teeth or indentations.

19. In a slidable door, an upper trackway, a door made up of upper andlower sections connected for slidable movements upon one another in ahorizontal direction, the upper section being hung from the trackway,and an upright bar hung from the trackway, the lower door section havinga vertically-slidable connection with the upper door section and withthe upright bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. SIEVERT.

Witnesses:

S. B. WADSWORTH, LUCIUS WELLS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

